


I Want to Hold Your Hand

by sassandpanache



Category: Rhett & Link
Genre: Fluff, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-11
Updated: 2019-12-11
Packaged: 2021-02-26 15:21:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 685
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21760309
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sassandpanache/pseuds/sassandpanache
Summary: Apparently, Em didn't need my contribution since y'all are killing it, but here it is nonetheless.
Relationships: Rhett McLaughlin/Link Neal
Comments: 10
Kudos: 68





	I Want to Hold Your Hand

**Author's Note:**

  * For [sohox](https://archiveofourown.org/users/sohox/gifts).



> Apparently, Em didn't need my contribution since y'all are killing it, but here it is nonetheless.

Rhett  _ really _ noticed it during the Tour of Mythicality. 

He’d take Link’s hand in his to raise it before bowing to the crowd, as he had done in past performances. But that first night--that first show--something electric coursed through Rhett’s veins at the contact. He shook it off as first night adrenaline, and kept moving forward.

But it happened again the second performance. And the third performance. And all the performances after that.

Rhett tried to rationalize everything about it away. They often held hands as children for comfort’s sake which transformed into helping hands up to one another’s feet and finally as little contact as possible. There wasn’t any spark then. And they had done that hand/bow move many times before and it hadn’t happened.

But this was different. This was  _ fire _ . This was everything and anything that could race through his heart to make it bubble over with adoration, appreciation, and love. Link’s hand was smoother than he could remember; warmer than he could remember; stronger than he could remember. The contours slid into Rhett’s grasp so sweetly that it made his heart ache. He didn’t even care about his sweaty palms as long as Link’s drier one was there.

It wasn’t hard to convince Link to create a different kind of tour after the Tour of Mythicality. And, after each performance, their hands would come together to create a force that felt stronger than Rhett could take. But he was drunk on the feeling; all of the things he laughed about in romantic comedies seemed to finally click into place. 

Eventually, Link said he was done with touring and Rhett’s heart crumbled. The last set of dates were decided and each day gone felt like a day closer to an execution date. He was terrified they’d go back to the way things were. There’d be no need for the physical touch, so there wouldn’t be any. Full stop.

So he found ways to hold his hand for GMM. A suggested S’More that won. Davin’s Halloween costume idea. And blindfolded taste tests were always a gold mine for opportunity. But the opportunities were drying up. He couldn’t figure out how to make it happen naturally without Link suspecting anything.

Rhett was aching for the contact. It was a dull roar in his heart most days but there were times he needed Link’s touch more than he needed air. He didn’t know how he lived without it before and he didn’t know how he’d live without it now. The need for Link’s touch was turning into something more profound and terrifying than anything Rhett had ever experienced. He just needed Link. No qualifiers, other than as his soulmate.

Rhett was startled out of his thoughts one day by Link asking him for a ride to work the next day. He had no problem saying yes and set a reminder on his phone to pick Link up. It was a crisp December morning, and Rhett pulled up to see Link waiting on the front porch, a smile on his face and his backpack straps on both shoulders like he was waiting for the bus on the first day of school. He bounded to Rhett’s car and hopped in the passenger seat, slinging his backpack in the backseat. He was high energy this morning and Rhett loved it.

As Rhett pulled away from Link’s house, a wave to the neighbor across the street, the ride fell into a comfortable silence as Rhett effortlessly steered with his left hand; his right arm on the console between them and his eyes focused on the road. 

Suddenly, he felt it.

The spark.

He looked down to see his fingers interwoven with Link’s fingers gripping him tightly, but affectionately. He chanced a glance at Link to find him staring out the window, looking as casual as he did when he got into the car. Rhett squeezed his hand and Link hesitantly looked at him, a blush spreading on his cheeks. Rhett smiled, squeezed again and focused back on the road.

He felt the spark every day since.


End file.
